As renewable-energy sources and sustainable building technologies grow, the functionality, financial performance and resilience of the built environment in the United States is increasingly linked to the energy sector. Today, during Building Innovation 2016: The National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Conference and Expo, held in Metropolitan Washington, D.C., the Institute’s Council on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (CFIRE) released a new report: Financing Energy-Efficiency and Renewable-Energy Projects.

This report examines the current and potential roles of three key equity investing structures in capitalizing the sustainable and energy-efficient development and retrofit of investment-grade commercial buildings and renewable-energy production. The report evaluates the effectiveness of these vehicles—Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and Yieldcos—in accessing the public capital markets and recommends needed legislative and regulatory changes.

When it comes to the buying and selling of commercial real estate—a multi-step process that involves high stakes and numerous stakeholders—the energy performance of buildings is not usually top of mind. An upcoming webinar by the National Institute of Building Sciences Council on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (CFIRE) could bring the topic into higher focus. The webinar, Energy in Commercial Appraisals and Mortgages: Risk or Reward?, scheduled for 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm ET, Thursday, September 28, 2017, will highlight an effort by the U.S. Department of Energy to put energy performance on the lending table.

Today, the National Institute of Building Sciences Consultative Council released its 2018 report, Moving Forward: Findings and Recommendations from the Consultative Council, during its Annual Meeting, held as part of Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Seventh Annual Conference and Expo.